PHC Mission & Impact

Our Mission

Plymouth Healing Communities (PHC) provides companionship, affordable housing, and advocacy for individuals who live with mental illness and have experienced homelessness. We know that healing takes place when vulnerable people are shown the care, love and respect they deserve.

“When I saw my room, I knew this is a place where I can get well.”

— Former Resident at the House of Healing

Our impact

The results of our work are compelling.

One in four of us will be affected by mental illness, either personally or through a family member. We are all affected by the impact of mental illness on the community.

Through our focused and timely intervention, we reduce the use of high-cost services such as hospital emergency rooms, detoxification services, shelters, and jails.

Our houses are situated in neighborhoods, helping to destigmatize mental illness and create communities that are less fearful and more complete.

Companionship - walking alongside our residents on their recovery journey - is central to all we do and makes PHC unique. Companions are deeply affected by their connections with and to our residents and each other, inspiring them to become lifelong mental health advocates.

What we've achieved

Respite Housing: The House of Healing, which celebrates 18 years in 2018, has served more than 170 individuals transitioning out of inpatient mental health treatment and homelessness. Over the years, 65 companions have lived with them at the House, together pursuing collective and personal healing. Remarkably, 95% of the residents that have left the House of Healing have exited into permanent housing.

Community Companions: PHC’s Community Companion Program, now in its 10th year, touches 60 persons annually through over 30 community companion volunteers! Community Companions provide social support, group outings, and one-on-one connections to people living in and outside our housing. We are working very hard to increase the number of volunteers in the next year, so that each resident has the option to have one-on-one support. We have a robust training program for companions and community volunteers, bringing together experts in the field of homelessness, mental illness, and substance use to break down stigma and create life-long advocates.

Permanent Supportive Housing: PHC’s housing portfolio now has six buildings in operation. In 2016, we began a partnership with Welcome Table Christian Fellowship to manage three apartments and provide supportive services to the residents. Our model of small-scale housing, integrated social services, companionship and tenant-centric property management has shown remarkable results with 95% of our tenants retaining housing for longer than three years.